Background:
The urine specimen yields a great deal of information for general condition of a patient quickly and economically. The detection of urine bilirubin is very useful for screening of liver diseases. The test for urine bilirubin using reagent strip
has
been reported to occur nonspecific reaction highly. The purpose of this study is to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of reagent strip for the detection of urine bilirubin by comparison with Ictotest considered more sensitive and
specific.
Methods:
A total of 312 urine specimens of patients with elevated serum bilirubin level were tested by reagent strip test(Multistix, Ames, USA) and diazo tablet test (Ictotest). The results of reagnet strip test were read out with Clinitek 200(Ames,
USA).
Results of Ictotest were interpreted as positive if blue or purple color was developed on the mat within 60 seconds.
Results:
Out of 75 urine specimens of patients with elevated serum bilirubin level, 31 specimens (41.3%) were positive in multistix test, and 71 specimens (94.7%) in Ictotest(P<0.001). Out of 87 urine specimens with normal liver function test, 6
specimens(6.9%) were postive in multistix test, and 2 specimens(2.3%) in Ictotest(p=0.067). Out of 75 brownish colored urine, 24(32.0%) were positive in multistix, and 17(22.7%) in Ictotest. The correlation of serum bilirubin level and reactin
intensity
in multistix test was good(r=0.64) (P<0.01). In multistix test, the detection rate of urine bilirubin according to time elapse began to decrease after 4 hours and not detected after 8 hours; in Ictotest, that began to decrease after 5 hours and
not
detected after 10 hours.
Conclusions:
Ictotest is more sensitive than reagnet strip for detection of urine bilirubin. Authors recommend that confirmation should be conducted with Ictotest if the results of reagent strip test are not consistent with patient's clinical status.
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